Footage of the vlogger, popularly known by her online moniker Tizi, showed her feasting on the predatory fish, which police in the central city of Nanchong confirmed was white. “It may look vicious, but its meat is actually very tender,” Tizi said as he tore off large chunks of the animal’s roasted meat, in a video posted in mid-July. In the video, which has since been deleted, she can be seen unwrapping a two-metre-long fish and lying next to it to show that it is taller than her. The shark is then cut in half, marinated and grilled, while the head is cooked in a spicy broth. Great white sharks are listed as vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature – one step before they are listed as endangered. Shark populations – some of the ocean’s most important top predators – have been threatened in recent decades, particularly by finning and industrial longline fishing. In China, they are listed as protected. Illegal possession can result in a prison sentence of five to 10 years. “It’s unbelievable that an internet celebrity can eat a protected animal in front of millions in broad daylight!” one commenter wrote in response to the story. “These uncultivated attention-seekers will stoop very low to attract attention!” said another. It is unclear whether Tizi, who has nearly 8 million followers, will be punished. She told local media that she obtained the shark through “legal channels”, but the local agriculture office said on Monday that her claim was “inconsistent with the facts” and that police were investigating. Dried baby shark meat is used as cat food in China and can be purchased at many online stores. Chinese state media have long battled viral binge-eating videos, known in the Korean slang mukbang, while live-streaming platforms have promised for years to shut down accounts that promote overeating and food waste.